Aulacus boonanghiensis Jennings & Parslow, 2018

Jennings, John T., Parslow, Ben A. & Austin, Andrew D., 2018, Systematics of the parasitoid wasp genus Aulacus Jurine (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea: Aulacidae) from Australia, Zootaxa 4538 (1), pp. 1-113 : 24-26

Aulacus boonanghiensis Jennings & Parslow , sp. nov.

Figs 10 , 57 .

Material examined. Holotype. ♀, " The Blowhole , Boonanghi S.F., W of Kempsey, NSW. 15-20 Feb 1994, G. Williams " "emerged from fallen Backhousia myrtifolia branch ex rainforest" ( AMS). Antennal flagellomeres 5–12 missing . Paratypes. NSW: 2♀, 2♂, same location and collector as holotype, various dates ( AMS) .

Description. FEMALE. Length. 4.70 (4.50–5.20) mm, excluding ovipositor.

Colour. Head and mesosoma black except mandibles brown, scape and pedicel orange, flagellomeres brown, legs orange, metasoma black except somites 1–3 orange, with variable amounts of black anteriorly on T1. Wings hyaline, slightly fuscous on apex of marginal and submarginal cells of fore wing ( Fig. 10A ).

Head. 1.44 (1.40–1.50)× wider than long when viewed dorsally ( Fig. 10C ); face rugulose-reticulate, pubescence long; indistinct sub-antennal groove; frons without lateral medial carina above toruli, rugose, with long pubescence, denser towards toruli; vertex punctate-reticulate, with scattered short setae; gena punctate-reticulate, with scattered short setae; posterior margin of head slightly concave in dorsal view; occipital carina absent; malar space 0.20 (0.18–0.21)× height eye; clypeus 3.2× as wide as high, margin sinuate, with medial process; distance from lateral ocellus to eye margin 0.75× distance between lateral ocelli; scape 1.6× length pedicel; first flagellomere about equal to length scape, 0.8× as long as second flagellomere.

Mesosoma. Propleuron rugulose, pubescence long, ventro-lateral carina present; pronotum rugulose-reticulate; mesoscutum in lateral view rounded antero-dorsally ( Fig. 10E ), medial and lateral lobes strigate, with scattered short setae, admedial lines present ( Fig. 10D ); notauli distinct, carinate, broad and shallow ( Fig. 10D ); scutellum and axillae strigate, scutellum anteriorly with a single depression; metapostnotum scrobiculate, posterior margin convex; mesopleuron rugose, with long pubescence; mesepimeron broad, carinate; metapleuron rugose, with short pubescence; propodeum coarsely rugose tending to areolate medially, posterior margin scrobiculate; hind coxa strigate dorsally, pubescence long laterally, ovipositor guide somewhat distal, oblique ( Fig. 10F ), fringe of long setae on distal margin, smooth in the groove; hind trochanter imbricate, with scattered short setae; prefemur on hind leg present; hind femur imbricate, with scattered short setae; hind tibia imbricate, pubescence short, with scattered stout emergent setae; hind femur 0.80 (0.75–0.83)× length hind tibia; hind tibia with ventro-apical pecten of short robust spines; hind tarsomeres 1–4 with ventro-apical pecten of short robust spines, tarsomere 1, 2.35 (2.15–2.50)× length tarsomere 2; tarsomere 2, 1.45× length tarsomere 3; tarsomere 3, 2.25× length tarsomere 4; tarsomere 4, 0.67× length tarsomere 5; hind tarsal claw 0.5× length tarsomere 5; fore wing veins 2r-m and 3r-m largely spectral; hind wing venation incomplete, R+Rs, M+Cu, Cu, r-m and 2-M absent, with 3 hamuli.

Metasoma. Ovate, 1.22 (1.15–1.26)× length of mesosoma ( Fig. 10B ); T1 and T2 narrow, glabrous; ovipositor 3.3 (3.2–3.5) mm.

MALE. Similar to female except: length 5.0 (4.5–5.4) mm; metasoma narrower in lateral view. There is also some variation between the two male specimens; one has eyes about the same size as that of the females, but the other has eyes half that size.

Etymology. This species is named after the holotype locality, Boonanghi State Forest, NSW.

Distribution. This species is known from the type locality, Boonanghi State Forest, west of Kempsey, NSW ( Fig. 57 ).

Biology. All specimens emerged from dead or fallen branches of Backhousia myrtifolia (Myrtaceae) .

Comments. Aulacus boonanghiensis keys out with A. atriceps . Both species have an ovate metasoma and an oblique, medial ovipositor guide on the hind coxae. The two species are, however, quite different in colouration (see comments above under A. atriceps ).

The marked variation in eye size between the two male specimens has not been noted in the males of other species. Until more males are collected and examined, we cannot say whether this is normal variation or simply an aberration.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Aulacus boonanghiensis sp. nov., paratype female, (A) dorsal habitus; (B) lateral habitus; (C) dorsal head; (D) dorsal mesosoma; (E) lateral head and mesosoma; (F) dorso-lateral hind coxa.

FIGURE 57. Distribution of Aulacus boonanghiensis sp. nov., A. brabyi sp. nov., A. broadi sp. nov., and A. burnsi sp. nov.